WHAT’S UP DOC? Separating kids from their parents

By Dr. Jeff Hersh/Daily News Correspondent

Tuesday

Jun 19, 2018 at 1:52 PMJun 19, 2018 at 1:52 PM

From my columns over the years many readers know that I intermittently work for the U.S. government as the Chief Medical Officer of MA1 DMAT (Massachusetts Disaster Medical Assist Team) responding to disasters. This has included columns I have written about the work our team did responding to the earthquake in Haiti, to Superstorm Sandy and to many other disasters.

In 2014 I was privileged to have been deployed alongside members of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) to help provide medical care, medical screening and immunizations to unaccompanied minors from other countries that had entered the U.S. illegally. It was an absolute pleasure to be able to work side by side with these dedicated professionals. Our mission, and our sole priority, was the health and welfare of these children. This kind of mission is not without precedent. For example, the USPHS provided medical care and medical screening for immigrants coming through Ellis Island in the early 20th century.

In 2014 I wrote an article about one of my experiences during that mission. It told the story of a journey two young boys undertook to be reunited with their parents:

“ Juan is almost 15, from Guatemala. He left his country with Jose, his 12-year-old brother, with instructions from his grandparents to ‘watch over him.’ Their journey lasted about two weeks.

My job was to do a medical screening evaluation of the unaccompanied children that had illegally entered the U.S, and who were being processed by Customs and Border Patrol, and this is how I met Juan and Jose. Juan’s chart was on top, so I called out his name. As Juan and I walked to the exam room he looked back at Jose, all color draining from his face. I turned to Juan, and his concern and pain were evident; it was clear that he took the responsibility of watching out for his little brother very seriously. I asked Juan how his brother was doing.

Juan told me Jose had been positive and upbeat, not demonstrating any fears or worries during their two-week journey; not when they crossed the border from Guatemala to Mexico, not during their trip through Mexico to the U.S. border, not when they crossed from Mexico to the U.S., and not when they were met by the U.S. Border Patrol agents. It was clear Jose’s only fear was being separated from his brother.

I stepped out of the exam room and waived for Jose to come in with us. Although I typically interview each child separately, in this case it was clear that a combined medical screening evaluation was indicated.

Jose’s eyes lit up as he jumped from his chair to join us. We all sat together and I went through the medical screening evaluation, asking about their medical history, medications and allergies, doing a focused psychological evaluation and performing a physical exam. To help get them to feel more comfortable with me I asked if they played soccer. Both noted they did, and when I asked him, Juan told me he was ‘pretty good’ (Jose clearly looked proud of his older brother); it seemed we all agreed I was past my prime and Juan likely played soccer better than I did (in fact I have never been skilled at soccer, so I am sure this is true).

I briefly met individually with Jose to allow him to express any concerns and ask me questions. By now he was more comfortable with me, and he told me he was excited to be reunited with his mother and father who now live in Texas.

I then met one on one with Juan. As Juan and I sat together in the exam room his tough external demeanor faded. He spoke of missing his grandparents in Guatemala and of how much he was looking forward to soon be seeing his mother and father; he had not seen them for several years. His big brown eyes softened as they slowly filled with tears, and he asked me if Jose was OK. I told him Jose seemed fine, and that he was doing a great job looking out for his little brother. He was clearly relieved, and streams of tears now flowed freely down his face.

This 15-year-old had carried a huge responsibility on his shoulders, taking care of his little brother during the uncertainties of their 2000-mile, 17-day journey. He had allowed himself to show only confidence and strength, being an anchor his little brother could hold on to. Yet at the end of the day he was still a 15-year-old boy, missing his family in Guatemala as well as in the U.S., afraid of the situation he was in and worried about what the future may bring. That is, a 15-year-old with the anxieties, dreams, worries and concerns that all 15-year olds have, even though his circumstances were certainly different than what most kids his age experience."

The present U.S. administration is intentionally separating minor children from their parents, per the President’s own statements using this practice as a negotiating tool. This administration is also fighting against the policy of allowing people who are in the U.S. legally to leverage that to bring other family members into the U.S. (interestingly, the exact policy that allowed the parents of our First Lady to come to the U.S.).

As a father on Father’s Day (the day I write this) I felt I had to address this issue. I urge everyone to look deep inside themselves and decide who they want to be as human beings, and to then call their elected officials and cast their votes consistent what they feel U.S. policies should be.